During her gap year before transferring to UT in the fall of 2025, Kaylie Lynn felt lost. Having spent the previous two years pursuing an acting career at Lindenwood University in St. Louis, she returned to Texas, wondering where to go next.
“I was in bed for a week eating nachos and brownies every day, and I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” Lynn said. After getting into UT in Feb. 2025, Lynn decided to give music a try, writing songs and spending weekends in search of bandmates. Her debut single, “Ink,” written in just one session, was released in June and sits at over 20,000 streams on Spotify.
“At first, I lacked a lot of confidence,” Lynn said. “I wasn’t sure I could do it, or that I knew what I was doing. Now, I feel a lot more confident and secure in myself, my image and the story I want to tell.”
Now, Lynn, who performs under the stage name Lynndigo, leads an eight-piece band in shows at Austin staples like Stubbs, Mohawk and Hotel Vegas. Just over a month after their debut show in August, the group became one of just three bands in student-run record label UTalent’s signing class for the academic year.
“When we auditioned for (UTalent), the first question they asked us after we auditioned is, ‘So how did you meet your band? Because they look like pros,’” Lynn’s guitar player Lee Trahan said.
Lynn’s band — a group of “uncs,” according to her — consists of musicians in their mid to late 20s from a variety of musical backgrounds including classical, jazz and rock. Trahan, who Lynn said has been a part of the band since day one, studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and lists Stevie Ray Vaughan as a primary influence.
“We have all these different sounds and different backgrounds joining into one nice little gift,” Lynn said. “We’re making a cake out of such weird ingredients, and it makes something really cool.”
Lynndigo’s debut album, intended to release in late June, will feature between eight and 12 tracks, taking inspiration from Lynn’s recent personal trials, including family issues and a tough breakup. Lynn said the bubbly pop sound of lead single “Motion Sick,” released Friday, reflects a desire to move away from the gentle feel of earlier releases.
“Think 80s synth indie pop with a little bit of silky soul,” Lynn said. “If I had to put it into an image, maybe dancing in your kitchen around two in the morning while it’s raining.”
Lynn made “Motion Sick” with producer Ryan Frosch, known professionally as Honey Woodz. Though just their first collaboration, Frosch said the track marks a new direction for Lynn as she continues to rise in the local scene.
“Within this community of Austin, she’s taking off pretty rapidly,” Frosch said. “It’s well deserved. I’m super happy that we have started collaborating, and we’re gonna make a lot of good songs together. I’m positive of that.”
